Consumer Reports likes it but not nearly as much as the Crosstrek. They regard it as competition for the Honda HRV.

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The Kona was the only real competition for me as I was looking at the 2018 Crosstrek. Ultimately the Crosstrek won as its AWD is far superior and my main reason for wanting a vehicle like this was to be able to commute to work and take off into the middle of nowhere on the weekends all wrapped up into one sporty little package. Also the Kona was more expensive.

 

I am tempted to take it for a test drive though, My wife traded in her 15 XV for a 18 XV because she didn't like the manual anymore, too many times stuck in hour long traffic, and although I do like my 15 better (styling wise) driving an automatic is not the end of the world, but with the manual transmissions going to the wayside like an 8-track tape figured I would keep mine...and I just love driving a manual...

but...the features are hard to argue and I have to admit walking into the showroom and seeing it, it was a big WOW factor.

Would love to see a head to head comparison in a real life New England snowstorm though (Kona vs Crosstrek)

 

Compare Honda HR-V vs. Hyundai Kona vs. Subaru Crosstrek

https://cars.usnews.com/cars-trucks/compare?trims=13586-396308_13630-398212_13679-394637

 

It's an attractive car. And I've noticed that sometimes lower quality vehicle makers compensate with more features, which can be nice. But I wouldn't trust it as I do a Crosstrek.

 

I'm with Cutlass on this. I think the Kona is a wannabe and lacks the balls to go where a Crosstrek will and can.

 

The main difference of Kona and Crosstrek is Kona is more agile due to better power weight ratio and better accessories, crosstrek have better rear passenger space, softer stable ride and permanent awd. So you can choose easily amont this 2 which is your priority. Actually kona is not really meant to be compared with crosstrek due to size is more comparable to chr, cx3 rather than hrv, x1, gla.

 

Odd that we've just had two threads pop up here in the general (Crosstrek) discussion area, promoting other brands of car...

All brands have recalls and oil consumption is not the issue it was years ago. Consumer Reports just ranked Subaru the #1 car brand overall, and the Crosstrek was the top of its category by a wide margin.

 

....feel a little guilty mentioning another car company on a Crosstrek forum, just kind of wish my Crosstrek has a few more features...but I love my Crosstrek and decided even against test driving that "other" car....historically I am a Ford guy, but worked on Subaru's for friends and because I liked working on them and admired their quality and functionality I bought 2, but I have to give credit where credit is due....(unless of course it is a Chevy or Dodge ) the Kona is a sharp vehicle with some amazing features.

 

My sis's Volvo, which is about 5 years old, had an oil consumption issue. Volvo just rebuilt the engine. My sis in law's Rav4 had one, and Toyota pretended it didn't for 8 years before finally giving her a new engine. This isn't an isolated problem.

 

I do have to admit that I’m attracted to it. But basically because it looks more like a Trek than anything else I’ve seen. That being said, I love my 16 Trek and have no regrets. I’m not parting with it anytime soon.


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^^^^ OMG YESSSSS! :mob:

 

Dont forget lower resale, the big difference in ground clearance kona lower, the interior is well in my opinion inferior compared to the '18 crosstrek . Hard plastics everywhere and I cannot stand the tacked on hud display. Also not a fan of the signals and headlights in the bumpers one whack there goes your headlight. I wonder if theres a plug in the wheel well to change the konas bulb?
I know not many would do this in their vehicles ( I do carefully) and TFL did a not so favorable test of the outback but at least its trans didn't over heat. I used to be a Hyundai guy my first was a 1985 Pony then we had a baaaaad '11 sonata and my most recent H lemon was a '14 Accent . Hyundai was very good putting every thing under warranty but how I was screwed/brushed off bye the dealer ticked me off I decided after that no more Sorry for the rant lol.

 

.......the big difference in ground clearance............

Yep:

Subaru Crosstrek ground clearance: 8.7"
Huyndai Kona ground clearance; 6.7"

If you go off-road, the decision is a no-brainer.

 

:smileyvault-popcorn: :smileyvault-popcorn: :smileyvault-popcorn: :smileyvault-popcorn: :smileyvault-popcorn:

Is that enough? We have more, OAK just went to Costco...

 

Hmmm I don't see anything worth arguing over. I added the laughing dude to my comment just to show my jovial intent.:happy:

Maybe you're just hungry for a snack before lunch? Speaking of lunch, I'm signing off and headed over to our very own GYRO KING for an awesome gyro and baklava for desert! See ya' on the other side! ':wink:

 

The Kona is an interesting car but Hyundai chose to retain the dual clutch transmission in it while removing it from mostly every other car / trim level because of wide spread problems with the DCT and general consumer hate and disgust with the DCT. So if you plan to test drive a Kona, even if just for fun, try to hit some stop and go traffic and see how much you like the DCT in those circumstances. What you experience will be your daily life. Maybe you'll be ok with it, maybe not.

 

I couldn't believe that Hyundai was actually using the DCT! OMG! I hope they've done a better job than Ford did with it in their Focii and Fiestas. When I traveled I ended up refusing the Focus and Fiesta as a rental because of that POS. My last rental of a Fiesta in Chicago almost got me a head-on collision because of that DCT.

 

Yup, Hyundai have had lots of problems with their DCTs.
https://www.carcomplaints.com/news/2016/hyundai-dual-clutch-transmission-dct-lawsuit.shtml

 

Big difference in the two? Number 1.... Its a HYUNDAI! case closed lol

 

BLUF: I purchased Crosstrek over the Kona. Good choice.

Back in June 2018 when car shopping, my choice narrowed to Crosstrek or Kona. Kona is more stylish, had the heads up display, and a few other things. At that time (maybe now?) didn’t have adaptive cruise control that wasn’t a deal breaker. The SUBARU brand was the decision breaker, and there were very few Kona’s at dealers.

Since the Crosstrek purchase, I love the adaptive cruise control and very glad I have it, could care less about heads up display.

I’ve only seen three Kona’s on the road (I don’t drive a lot....), but walked past one last week. Looked really small and toy like. Considering I came from a VW Golf, the smallness wasn’t a purchase factor. But, after the Crosstrek, the Kona seems way small....

 

The Kona is a cool *** vehicle and I almost went with it. The interior design kick's the Crosstrek's *** and I LOVE the blue lighting and elevated "floating tablet" touchscreen. Very minimal amounts of piano black gloss pieces (I think the radio knobs and the HVAC controls, but that's it). I loved the handling and styling. But the backseat room is pitiful as is the trunk space. The ride also isn't as good as the Crosstrek as it crashes over road imperfections. Trade in value is also weak as hell. Surprisingly, dealers weren't willing to discount the Kona much. I received $3,000.00 off the MSRP of my Crosstrek.

 

The Kona looks like a great car, especially with the turbo engine. But it still doesn't challenge a Crosstrek (or many other Subarus) in the combination (for the money) that keeps me coming back to Subaru - legit AWD, interior space, ground clearance, and fuel efficiency.

 

Since we were back at the dealer getting my wife a beater car to use as her work car (she had a company car, but losing it because of a job title change and didn't want to use her Crosstrek where she had to travel all the time bought a cheap low mileage Soul)..well anyways I did end up driving the Kona, I loved the color (green) and the accented interior. Honestly liked the temp gauge! wireless charging, heads up display, nice having a factory sunroof, power seat, navigation, android auto...(since mine is a manual couldn't get power seat or factory sunroof)

Bottom line, not a bad vehicle, didn't have as much power as I thought(even with the turbo), engine is a little buzzy, shifts are a little clunky at low speeds, and as said above feels "toyish" (to me the wow factor of the looks stopped dead once you drive it)

Having that said, I like my Crosstrek much better and I am not ready to give up my manual transmission.

 

My next car will be electric, and the Kona ev has been getting good press.

 

But its a Hyundai.....Im sorry I cant get past how really bad these cars were when they first came out in the early 90s? I realize they are better now but...they got that rep for me....also poor resale value

 

Kona, Big Island braddah...Been there on vacation, love it....Kona by Hyundai...not so much.
Love my Subie. Hang loose Howlee Brah

 

in my experience, Hyundai makes lousy cars and I wouldn’t consider buying one.

 

Funny thing about Hyundais, they have that great 10 year 100k warranty....... My wife wrecked her car in 2007. We were in dire need of something inexpensive so we got an Accent. We had issues with the car and the dealership out of the gate. We traded it in for another car in 2009 because my wife hated it.....anyway, less than 10 years after purchasing the Accent they were like ghosts. They had sold thousands of those POSs and few were still on the road.

They may have made significant improvements, but I would never own another unless it was given to me.

 

Haha, you guys are going to get a good laugh... But I went out and bought a Kona EV Ultimate (top trim here in Canada) today.

But will keep my Crosstrek, of course, traded in my old Prius C. Got a good trade-in deal, plus able to take advantage of the fed and prov subsidies ($10k in total). Had to act fast though, as they are selling out quickly now. And gas prices going through the roof here, thanks to our neighbour Alberta friends who are threatening to shut off the taps to us.

 

Let us know what you think after a few months use of it.

 

120V-240 :sFun_rofl:

 

AC or DC?

 

Just bought a Kona EV on May 1, because the govt gave me a $10K incentive rebate, plus free chargers all over the place around here. So first have to say thanks to my fellow Canadian tax payers for that gift.

I said I would come back and give an update and comparison with my Crosstrek. Here it is, and some pics below.

First, my Kona has a few things that my Crosstrek does not have:

1. Auto wipers.

2. HUD. Not just a gimmick. Starting to like this more and more. Besides speed, also shows lane traffic coming up behind you, which is kind of useful to know. And any alerts show up here as well, incl lane change traffic. I found the Kona really doesn’t like you cutting anyone off,… haha. The Crosstrek gives you a little more leeway.

3. Wireless phone charger.

4. Front and rear parking sensors (Subaru just has rear camera).

5. Ventilated A/C front seats.

6. Kona has a phone app (BlueLink) that allows me to remotely monitor status, and change things in my car. Eg, locks, charging, climate control, etc. Works pretty well and does not require a wifi or data connection (I assume satellite connected).

7. And of course the Kona EV is all electric.

Other than that, here are some of the major differences.

1. Space: Up front Kona has enough room, but rear passenger leg room is very tight compared to the Crosstrek. Also, Kona rear cargo area is smaller.

2. Clearance: Kona has 6.2 inches vs 8.7 for Crosstrek. Doesn’t matter to me though, as I didn’t buy it for off road. That’s why I have the Crosstrek. And of course, no AWD on my Kona.

3. Ride and comfort: Crosstrek is much better for this, with softer ride and is much smoother (and quieter) over the bumps (like railroad tracks). Also Crosstrek is more stealthy getting up to speed, and is more stable and confident at higher speeds. With the Kona, it feels like you are going fast, and you tend not to speed as much. Cornering on the Kona is not as good (despite the lower center of gravity with the big battery underneath), especially if you go over any bumps in the corners. Crosstrek is definitely more stable. Having said that, the Kona is better than my old Prius, but not anywhere near as good as the Crosstrek (which sets a high bar anyway compared to other vehicles). Seats are slightly more comfortable in the Crosstrek. They are both leather, but the Kona ones are not quite as soft, and feels like you are sitting on a harder bench. Maybe they need to be broken in a bit more.

4. Doors and entry/exit: Kona is better although not to say Crosstrek is really bad. I find that with the Crosstrek it is easy to scuff the bottom front of the door when exiting. Not so with the Kona. Not sure exactly why, maybe the Kona door is positioned more forward. But I did notice this.

5. Power and acceleration: Kona hands down in this area. It has 201 hp, but more importantly, 291 ft lbs torque which, with the electric motor, is immediately available from a stop start. The wheels (FWD) will squeal/chirp right up to 50 kph (about 30 mph), and your head snaps back to the head rest if you are not ready. I have really surprised some friends when I took them for a test ride. I don’t think there will be too many ICE cars that I can’t beat from a red light. Kind of fun, but not how I would drive it normally, of course. I don’t like to make a spectacle of myself.

6. Driver Assist and Safety tech: Crosstrek does everything better in this area, incl ACC (Kona lags too much) and LKA (Kona needs very good lane markings and doesn’t work at all below 60 kph). Kona only has a single camera on the windshield vs dual for the Crosstrek. I think that is the difference. Also, and this one is a little disconcerting, the Kona rear traffic alert doesn’t always pick up a car coming from the side. At our home I back out of my driveway at an angle onto the street. And I have found that on a couple occasions now, it does not pick up a car coming from one side. My Crosstrek, on the other hand, always picks up rear cross traffic even when at an angle. So that is a big difference. The other thing I don’t like is the pre-collision braking. I guess I am a bit of an aggressive driver, and usually come up pretty fast behind the car in front before braking. However, the Kona starts beeping fairly early, and has even slammed the brakes on me (and I mean slammed), even though I thought I still had lots of time to brake. That really surprised me, as the Crosstrek has never done that to me. So now I am a little spooked about that, and start slowing earlier (maybe too much), which is not how I necessarily want to drive. Will have to get used to this and adapt, I guess.

7. Instrumentation: Crosstrek is much more elaborate than the Kona with the multiple displays and setting options. Kona is OK for what you need, but a lot more basic. I think the “cockpit” in the Crosstrek feels nicer, and even the steering wheel has more controls. With the Kona, you need to do more on the center screen to look at or change something.

8. Head Unit: I like the Subura better, seems to be more intuitive and easier to use. Maybe I just need to get used to the Kona one. I don’t like how the radio presets works. And no driver profiles. Wife and I have to share all the same preferences. Nav seems the same as Crosstrek, though, and voice commands work well, as they do in the Subaru. The audio sound in the Kona is good, too, maybe a bit better than the Crosstrek (stronger base).

9. Paint job: Kona paint has a somewhat rough finish, even after a polish, almost feels like there is some overspray. My Crosstrek is silky smooth to the touch. I was back to the Hyundai dealer to pick up my floor mats, and checked some other cars in the showroom, and they were the same. So I asked the salesperson about that, and the reply was that is the “Hyundai paint”. If I want it really smooth, might have to give it a polishing compound treatment.

10. Warranty: Better with Subaru which gives 3 years end to end (incl wipers and brakes). Hyundai excludes all wear items, and only 1 year for free checks and adjustments.

11. Value: I think you get what you pay for. The ICE FWD Kona is a lot cheaper than the Crosstrek. But the Kona EV top trim version, like I have, is a lot more expensive (costs even more than the top trim Ascent).

12. Looks: All about personal preference. I like both actually. My Crosstrek is Cool Grey Khaki while the Kona is a deep, bright red and definitely stands out in a parking lot. Hope it doesn’t attract any keyers…

Having said all that, I like the Kona for what it is, a high range (450 kms) EV. That why I bought it. It is a replacement for my Prius and will be great for driving around town. And it is a good complement to my Crosstrek which is much better off road and can pull my boat. Also on trips, I would prefer the Crosstrek. However, the Kona will be our primary driving vehicle, and look forward to all the free driving (with free chargers all over the place here). And oh, my wife likes it, so that is important.

 

10. Warranty: Better with Subaru which gives 3 years end to end (incl wipers and brakes). Hyundai excludes all wear items, and only 1 year for free checks and adjustments.

Hyundai doesn't offer a 5 year bumper-to-bumper and 10 year powertrain warranty in Canada?

Thanks for the review as my wife was originally looking at a Kona but has now decided on a Crosstrek. We pretty much came to the same conclusions you did comparing the two vehicles. The Kona offers more features for the money but the Crosstrek is roomier and more refined.